The Softest Way to Say I Love You
by only-some-loser
Summary: The words don't have to be said for the meeting to be gotten across. Sometimes all you need is to remind someone that they're never alone, and that they never have to be. (tag to 2x22, UFO Area 51)


**AN: This is the forty-third installment to my personal challenge to write a tag for every episode. This is a tag to 2x22, UFO + Area 51. It takes place at the end of the episode. I'm not that impressed with it, but there's not really anything I would have changed about the ep that wouldn't have changed basically the whole thing, so this is what you get. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review!**

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Jack just wanted what was best for Mac. That's all he'd ever wanted. But sometimes it was so hard to do his job when it seemed like other people didn't have the same goal in mind. Take Matty for instance: for the longest time, Jack did believe that she wanted what was best for Mac, but now, how could he know for sure? Clearly the woman knew the boy's father, yet she was unwilling to say anything about it other than that she was trying to protect him. Protect him from what? His father? Jack knew the man had been neglectful and a bastard, but as far as he knew, the man hadn't been downright abusive or anything. Did Matty mean she was only trying to protect the kid from more heartbreak? If so, why didn't she just tell Mac that? All of this cloak and dagger was only leaving Mac more hurt, and Matty had to see that. Riley was right in saying that it wasn't healthy for Mac to continue to search for a man who made contact impossible.

Maybe it was for the best that Mac just stopped looking. It's clearly what the kid had convinced himself he wanted, but was that the truth? Now that they had the full unredacted file on his father, maybe things would change.

They'd had a long family meeting - minus Mac - about the subject. Riley had gotten the intel for them, and before she mentioned that Mac had said he was over it, they had all been planning on just giving him the file. But it took a lot of consideration to decide after they knew that Mac was trying to move on. The only people Jack knew for sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, wanted what was best for Mac were Bozer, Riley, and Jack himself, of that he was certain. Mac was their little brother, and they would do anything for him, anything to protect him. When had it all become so convoluted? Why did it even have to be this way? The kid was right, if his father really cared, why didn't he just pick up a phone and call? He clearly had the ability too.

At the end of the family meeting, they had decided to give Mac the file. It should be entirely his decision what to do, but he should at least have as many cards as he could before that final decision was made. Jack would support him one-hundred percent no matter what he decided. He would always be there for him, always, no matter what.

"Guys, I..." Mac finally said, trailing off a bit as he looked at each of his friends. "I'm gonna need some time to think, before I decide anything," he said, looking at the flash drive, then at the ground. He wasn't meeting anyone's eyes. Bozer recognized that as his cue to leave Mac alone to think it through, and stood up, placing his hand on Mac's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze before he walked back inside. Riley immediately did the same. Jack, though, wouldn't leave. He knew he needed to give Mac some air and some time to think, but it was dangerous to leave the kid completely alone while he was thinking about such a heavy topic. After a minute or two, Mac finally spoke again, saying, "for sixteen years I've wanted all the answers about why my dad left me, why he's never spoken to me since, and now..." he trailed off again, sighing. "Now all the answers might be in the palm of my hand, and I don't know if I even want to look." Mac briefly looked up at Jack, his eyes shining with emotion. It broke Jack's heart. That was the thing about Mac, he was an incredible spy, the best Jack knew, but he could never hide the emotion in his eyes, they were much too expressive. It was something that Jack loved about Mac, something that reminded him of Mac's youth and purity. He wanted it to stay that way.

"Bud, no matter what you decide, I'm gonna be right there next to you, no matter what. You know that. You've known that for a long time now, and it ain't about to change," Jack encouraged with a soft smile. He just needed Mac to know that he was on the kid's side, come hell or high water.

"But what if the answers are worse than the questions?" Mac asked with a humorless smile. "That would be fitting, wouldn't it, for the answers to be so terrible that I would rather just not know at all? I mean, with how this has gone, that's what I should really be expecting, right?" Mac let out another humorless laugh and rolled his eyes. Jack saw the defense mechanism for what it was: an attempt to hide his grief and fear at the whole situation.

"Sadly, I can't answer any of those questions, but I can guarantee you one thing. No matter what, I am gonna be there to pick up the pieces. I'll be there with a cold one and a hug for you, and maybe a fist to the face and some choice expletives for your father." That had the desired effect of forcing a real smile from Mac. "Whatever you need, I'll get it, I'll be it, always. You're not in this alone, brother." Mac smiled at Jack once again. It was a small, soft smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"Then I think I know what I have to do. If I don't find out now, I'm gonna wonder the rest of my life," Mac said, tapping the flash drive against his hand.

"Okay, and I'm right here with you, all the way," Jack replied, holding out his hand for a fist bump.

"All the way," Mac echoed. He returned Jack's fist bump with that small smile, then took a swig of his beer.

Jack leaned back and relaxed. He knew Mac was still trying to hide his anxiety over all of this, but it seemed like Jack's words had actually helped, if only a little. Still, he would take a little over nothing. Besides, everything he said was the truth. He was with Mac until the end of the line, always.


End file.
